The Gospel of the HereafterSmyth, J. Paterson (John Paterson)
Religion
The Gospel of the Hereafter
Smyth, J. Paterson (John Paterson)
Eschatology
There are two Greek words, _krinô_ which means simply _to judge_, and
_kata-krinô_ which means to _judge adversely_, to _condemn_, and it is
sometimes the first and sometimes the second of these words which is
translated "Damn." Why is it so translated? Surely the translators
did not think so evil of God as to believe that He could never judge a
man without condemning him and that He could never condemn him except
to everlasting torment. Not at all. They had no thought of this. The
English word "damn" at that time had no such awful meaning as has grown
into it in our day through the wide-spread influence of the theory
which I am criticizing. It simply meant what the Greek word meant. I
find an interesting illustration of this in the Wycliffe Bible in the
passage about the woman taken in adultery. Jesus saith, "Woman, hath
no man damned thee?" "No man, Lord." "Neither do I damn thee." That
is to say the English word Damn at that time only meant "_condemn_."
But words are dangerous things if not carefully watched, owing to their
tendency to change their meaning as a language grows. A new, darker
meaning has grown on to the English word since. Once an innocent word,
it has now become dangerous and misleading. Therefore, the Revisers
have swept it away, and _the words damn and damnation have now vanished
entirely and for ever out of the pages of the English Bible_.
Unfortunately the public do not read the Revised Version.
With this explanation I ask the reader to turn back to his Bible. In
our sense of the word did our Lord say, "He that believeth not shall be
damned"? Most certainly not. He said that he should be _condemned_
for wilfully disbelieving, but He did not say to what he should be
condemned, nor for how long. I should condemn you for doing a selfish
act, but that would hardly mean sending you to endless torment. Did He
say that those who had done evil should rise to the resurrection of
damnation? (1 John v. 29). No. He said, "to the resurrection of
judgment." (See R. V.) Did St. Paul say, "He that doubteth (about
eating certain meats) is damned if he eat"? (Rom. xiv. 23). Did he
say that a church widow should have damnation for marrying again? (1
Tim. v. 12). Of course not; the word only means judgment or
condemnation. There is no thought at all in it of this endless Hell as
the Revised Version has plainly shown. So we see that at any rate all
these texts about "damnation" can no longer be used in proof of
everlasting torment and everlasting sin.
§ 2
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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